Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Responsibilities This Senior Social Worker position is within the Mental Health Service at the White River Junction location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz\_ua\_UU Total Rewards: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The incumbent will serve as the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Geriatric Specialist for the VA White River Junction Healthcare System. The objective of the HUD-VASH program is to re-integrate homeless Veterans into the community and to help them achieve the maximum level of physical, mental, and social functioning possible. These efforts are achieved through ending homelessness by utilizing housing vouchers and providing clinical case management and other community and facility supports. This is a collaborative position that works closely with the HUD-VASH and Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) National Program Offices, the equivalent regional/VISN personnel and the local WRJ HUD-VASH Program Coordinator and the local WRJ HUD-VASH Clinical Coordinator. Duties include but are not limited to: Responsibility for the development of novel collaborations designed to meet the clinical and housing needs of elderly, aging and/or disabled homeless and/or formerly homeless Veterans. Serves as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for elderly, aging and/or disabled homeless and/or formerly homeless Veterans including those nearing end of life. Has knowledge of screening, assessment, diagnosis, evidenced-based treatment recommendations, and systems of care for elderly, aging and/or disabled, homeless Veterans. Has knowledge of various housing options and levels of care for elderly, aging and/or disabled Veterans. Provides leadership in the community by actively participating in the local plans to end Veteran homelessness. Develops appropriate professional relationships with various medical center leadership and programs and community stakeholders. Functions as a liaison, participating in case conferencing and other pertinent community meetings. Collaborates with appropriate internal to VA and external to VA partners to develop programming to ensure the provision of clinical care and permanent supportive housing for elderly, aging and/or disabled Veterans, ensuring equity of access, service, and benefits to this population and ensuring the care provided is of the highest quality. Works to increase access for Veterans who wish to choose options for long term care in the community. Tracks GEC and HUD-VASH partnership program development, statistics, data management, identify significant findings, problem solve including identifying barriers to implementation, and complete reports pertaining to development of these programs. Prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Identifies and develops program resources in the community and across VAMCs, acting as a liaison with these agencies and providers. Program improvement efforts, tracking and reporting performance measures and other specific homeless monitors is also a key component of the position. Performs additional duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday- Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 405-F07565 at GS-12 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Hannah Neilson, Hannah.Neilson@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process. Learn more EDRP Assignment Code: B3 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Not Required Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: You must have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure or Certification: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-0185-12: Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. AND Experience Requirement: You must possess at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the Medical Center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where incumbent conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. Environment Requirements: Reports safety hazards, accidents and injuries. Responds as appropriate to the Emergency Preparedness Plan. Adheres to security policies and procedures. Demonstrates compliance with Federal, State and local environmental requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste and conserving cultural and natural resources. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Narrative responses to the KSAs may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). SF-50s must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.